I have given up television for a week. Yes, it's true. I know, I know... Let me explain.
Ever since I stopped teaching and my days have lacked schedule, responsibility, accountability, or deadlines, I have filled the boredom and the silence in my house with the sounds of television. This started in June. It's been almost 5 months and my list of favorite, mindless, silence and boredom remedies has come to include the following:
-Law and Order (Any and all of them)
-Bones
-House
-Mystery Diagnosis
-Top Chef
-Dr. G: Medical Examiner
-Project Runway
I never really strayed from this small, yet extremely broad, television path. On any given day you can find at least one of these shows and usually in a marathon format... where channel changing is kept to a minimum (along with most other forms of movement). Some days I would be crocheting baby hats or going back and forth from the sewing room or writing thank yous or being generally productive at the same time. However, those days were few and far between. Like, maybe 25%... if that. And slowly but surely, my brain has seeped out through my ears on to the throw pillows on our couch (they needed to be replaced anyway).
Quinn had already gotten me to agree to canceling cable when Abram is born. I acquiesced as soon as the thought popped into my head of his first words being the Law and Order SVU introduction because his mother couldn't shut the stupid thing off. You know... the SVU introduction: "In New York City, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. The dedicated detectives who investigate this vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories." No, I did not look that up.
But as I sat in church this past Sunday, I was suddenly convicted of my need to step back from television for my sake, as much as Abram's. The sermon was not about idols, or distractions, or anything like that. It was about Abram, actually :) And how when God makes a promise, He follows through with it, even if it takes a long time and we have to trust that He does the same in our lives. See, I was listening. But all of a sudden I thought: "I should try to give up television for a week". And then immediately I thought: "Maybe just one day". Which resolved me even further in my first conviction: "See, Anaka, you can't even think of going a week without it. So that's what you'll do." On the ride home, I hesitated to tell Quinn. I knew that if I didn't, I could go back on my secret goal and no one but me (and God) would be the wiser. But that's why accountability is so useful in situations like these, right? So I told him. And he did a very good job at hiding his excitement and calmly reassured me that it was a great idea and steered me into a related topic so that I would have less time to think about and rationalize away my goal.
As I started my week, I found that it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Mainly because everytime I was pregnant-tired and wanted to lay down on the couch, I wanted my old friend, the television as well. Like a security blanket. Books have helped a bit, but they require so much work! I've turned on music and sang and gone on the computer and run errands, but there were still times when I just wanted to relax and it was almost impossible to do without the TV. Like, my mind can't stop thinking without something else to concentrate on. But I made it through Monday and through Tuesday. Then today, when my sister called to see if I wanted to drive 40 minutes south to hang out with her and her husband at the outlet mall while they picked out some furniture, I said yes as much to avoid the temptation of television as to see my incredibly busy family members who I hardly get to see. It ended up being a great day and I'm glad I went. And yes, I would have gone even if I weren't challenging myself to cold turkey TV rehab.
However, as I sit here at 12:30 in the morning with a baby inside my small body kicking the crap out of my ribs, side, and bladder all at the same time, I am thinking about how much easier I might go to sleep if only I were able to turn on the TV and lay on the couch. Instead, I chose the more productive, yet slightly less sleep-inducing method of blogging. Unfortunately, I have now rambled the only readership I might possibly have into surrender and will be lucky to have any one but pregnancy photo seeking family members checking up on this lovely little blog.
So good night, "world". I have made it through three days and I will let you know how I fare with the final four.
P.S. I am allowed to watch Project Runway with my friends tomorrow night... in case you were wondering. We'll see if, like a shot of vodka for a recovering alcoholic, I am able to get back on the wagon on Friday.
Ever since I stopped teaching and my days have lacked schedule, responsibility, accountability, or deadlines, I have filled the boredom and the silence in my house with the sounds of television. This started in June. It's been almost 5 months and my list of favorite, mindless, silence and boredom remedies has come to include the following:
-Law and Order (Any and all of them)
-Bones
-House
-Mystery Diagnosis
-Top Chef
-Dr. G: Medical Examiner
-Project Runway
I never really strayed from this small, yet extremely broad, television path. On any given day you can find at least one of these shows and usually in a marathon format... where channel changing is kept to a minimum (along with most other forms of movement). Some days I would be crocheting baby hats or going back and forth from the sewing room or writing thank yous or being generally productive at the same time. However, those days were few and far between. Like, maybe 25%... if that. And slowly but surely, my brain has seeped out through my ears on to the throw pillows on our couch (they needed to be replaced anyway).
Quinn had already gotten me to agree to canceling cable when Abram is born. I acquiesced as soon as the thought popped into my head of his first words being the Law and Order SVU introduction because his mother couldn't shut the stupid thing off. You know... the SVU introduction: "In New York City, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. The dedicated detectives who investigate this vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories." No, I did not look that up.
But as I sat in church this past Sunday, I was suddenly convicted of my need to step back from television for my sake, as much as Abram's. The sermon was not about idols, or distractions, or anything like that. It was about Abram, actually :) And how when God makes a promise, He follows through with it, even if it takes a long time and we have to trust that He does the same in our lives. See, I was listening. But all of a sudden I thought: "I should try to give up television for a week". And then immediately I thought: "Maybe just one day". Which resolved me even further in my first conviction: "See, Anaka, you can't even think of going a week without it. So that's what you'll do." On the ride home, I hesitated to tell Quinn. I knew that if I didn't, I could go back on my secret goal and no one but me (and God) would be the wiser. But that's why accountability is so useful in situations like these, right? So I told him. And he did a very good job at hiding his excitement and calmly reassured me that it was a great idea and steered me into a related topic so that I would have less time to think about and rationalize away my goal.
As I started my week, I found that it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Mainly because everytime I was pregnant-tired and wanted to lay down on the couch, I wanted my old friend, the television as well. Like a security blanket. Books have helped a bit, but they require so much work! I've turned on music and sang and gone on the computer and run errands, but there were still times when I just wanted to relax and it was almost impossible to do without the TV. Like, my mind can't stop thinking without something else to concentrate on. But I made it through Monday and through Tuesday. Then today, when my sister called to see if I wanted to drive 40 minutes south to hang out with her and her husband at the outlet mall while they picked out some furniture, I said yes as much to avoid the temptation of television as to see my incredibly busy family members who I hardly get to see. It ended up being a great day and I'm glad I went. And yes, I would have gone even if I weren't challenging myself to cold turkey TV rehab.
However, as I sit here at 12:30 in the morning with a baby inside my small body kicking the crap out of my ribs, side, and bladder all at the same time, I am thinking about how much easier I might go to sleep if only I were able to turn on the TV and lay on the couch. Instead, I chose the more productive, yet slightly less sleep-inducing method of blogging. Unfortunately, I have now rambled the only readership I might possibly have into surrender and will be lucky to have any one but pregnancy photo seeking family members checking up on this lovely little blog.
So good night, "world". I have made it through three days and I will let you know how I fare with the final four.
P.S. I am allowed to watch Project Runway with my friends tomorrow night... in case you were wondering. We'll see if, like a shot of vodka for a recovering alcoholic, I am able to get back on the wagon on Friday.
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